Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-08-04
st. Louis Correspondence.

II
Ed. Register Your types ia my last
made me give the credit of the work
detailed to the Methodist Episcopal
church. It should have been given to
the Methodist Episcopal church south.
Credit to whom credit is due.n The
Methodist Episcopal church makes q
very different showing OF her work in
China. II can get the full statistics,
may give it in my next letter. ] can
say at present, however. that her work
is very prosperous and extended one.
The Mission Work OF the world ls
| very encouraging one. Other ages
have been famous for wars and conten-
tions. This one for Missions and in
bringing the world into one harmon-
ious thought.
find the following clipping from q
Georgia paper, which gives the view
they have of the work. / commend
the thought to all observing ones:
PROGRESS OF MISSIONS.
The rapid progress of Protestant
Christian missions on the foreign field
is one ofthe marvels Of modern history.
Not to enter into details, take China
| for an example. Half q century ago
Protestant missions had gained but n
nominal foothold in this great heafhen
empire, and until 1860 their Operations
were restricted to five specific ports.
But in 1878 the converts had multiplied
two thousand-f0ld in thirty-five years.
the rate ut increase advancing year bv
year. AT the same rate If increase for
| thirty-f1ve years more, there will be in
China twenty-six millions OF commun.
icants, and a professedly Christian pop-
ulation of one hundred millions a
little more than one hundred years apo
Voltaire boastingly declared in room
in Geneva that before the nineteenth
century Christianity would have dis
appeared from the earth. Since that
time that very room has been used as
Bible depository, and ChrIstianitv
has won the most marvellous victories
of her whole history. Some or the
islands Of the Pacific, not yet sixty
years removed from utter barbarisnl.
contain some Of the largest local
Churches in the world, which now send
out missionaries to other islands Of the
sea. The Fill Islanders, leas than fifty
years ago, feasted on human flesh. Now
more than one hundred thousand hear
ers assemble for Christian worship on
the Sabbath day, and twenty-five thou-
sand are enrolled cOmmunicants. But
of all portions of the earth's area where
the problem OF Christianity is environ
ed with trying conditions la its so.u-
tion, the United States within the past
seventy-five years presents the crucial
field. The vast extent ofOur territory.
the rapid increase of our population,
and the peculiarly unpromising char
acter of very much of the population
emigrat,ng to our shores, surrounds the
problem with conditions well calculat-
ed to test the vitality and vigor Of our
Christian faith. And yet the evangel-
ical Christian Churches during the past
three-quarters of century have real
lied the following results: In 1900 they
had one communicate In every four
teen and q half Inhabitants in the
whole country. In 1850 there was one
in six and haif IN nhabitants. In 1870.
one in Ave and three-quarters inhab-
itants. In 1880, one IN every five i'm
habitants.
These facts are but = fragment of the
showing that might be made to prove
that the map Of the word is at once q
varied, convincing, and unaIs werable
argument In favor OF the supernatural
origin of Christianity, its divine char
ucter, and its ultimate universal tri-
umph in the earth. Even so, come.
Lord Jesus, come quickly. = Herald
and Presbyter.